What will the next major update be about?

My theory on this stems to the top tier players. I'm sure you know as well as I do that a lot of players left the game when AT's were introduced and after. You know that the guys you play with and against now are not the same guys 2 years ago. So that created holes for guys to fill. So people like Angra, Motoko, No Mas (sorry if I got this wrong and any of you had been playing in top guilds before AT's, just trying to use well known examples) were able to step up their abilities and fill those roles that the older players left.

Unfortunately that left holes in the spots were they played, and sadly those spots were not filled. The middle tier got smaller very rapidly because of a large player base leaving (whether it be leaving the game or getting the opportunity to play at the next level) and as a result started to play top tier guilds more often. This is fine for a while, but the casual player gets annoyed if he losses over and over again. Unfortunately, they don't have the drive to improve like the top players do and when they lose too much because of facing top guild after top guild, they get annoyed too much and leave the game. The hole gets larger, the player base gets smaller, middle tier guilds play top guilds more often, more and more leave.

I don't know how to fix this or even if you can, because like you said, GL getting them to come back. Honestly one of the only ways I can think of is something that will never happen. It would be for top guilds to do something similar to KiSu where they have 2 or three versions of the guild. Similar to baseball with their major and minor leagues. You would have a top tier guild, a middle tier guild and a lower tier guild, where the top players play with the middle and lower tier players and help train them up. The only problem is, it can be annoying playing with newer players (especially if they have attitude problems) and I think the majority of top players don't want to spend the time required to actually tutor people. People actually do have lives outside of Guild Wars and this would take a lot of time.

This is what I was getting at with the first of two things that needs to happen... but like you, I dont see this happening across the board. [rawr] does a good job on their forums and such, but across the board with over 100 guilds... its gonna be a lot of work and dedication from those hosting and those learning... so I am not sure if all that patience is going to be there to see this through... which is unfortuneate

Pretty much correct, further explains the different aspects which have occurred. Players have left in all the tier skill levels, top/middle/lower end, and the game hasn't filled those voids since. I've been saying NCSoft and Anet should just release a PvP pack for 20$ all skills from all campaigns this far down the road, alas ATs really didn't help the problem that comes with time, it just gave everyone another reason to leave.

The problem with tutoring is time, like you've said, but also the current playerbase has absolutely no desire to learn. There was a big thread about this concept 2 months back here on riverside, does the "community such or doesn't it". It further stems from even real live generation problems, where life styles have totally changed, especially after the baby boomers and their children, the current teen-aged populace wants everything handed to them, ingame and in RL.

Honestly I'm not expecting new content, but something more along the lines of Zquests.... just rewards for replaying old content, or some kind of re-hashing on old content.

Maybe a new title, but I'm certainly NOT expecting anything like a Sorrow's Furnace or DoA update.

That is true, I have spent my time in PvP mainly training new recruits. I began in a guild with all new recruits (even being a new one myself) but even then being the leader and guiding people down the right path. Later on I would get lucky and had the opportunity to compete in At's and decided to take the knowledge I learned there to further help new players. Unfortunately, in the year that had passed from teaching to learning and then getting back into teaching, the attitude of the players definitely changed. Everyone seems to think they are better than they are and don't like taking advice. They view it as an attack no matter how you present it. And the majority of players don;t have the drive required.

It is probably because they feel there isn't enough time. With all this talk about GW 2 coming, people don't want to take a year to improve themselves. They want to compete in an MaT and they want to compete now. They won't accept the fact that it is going to take even the best player a year to have the experience to be able to hold his own with the guilds you would be competing against in an MaT. I do feel people are going to be offended by what I just stated, but that is the conclusion I have come across from actually being involved and comparing players now with players from just 1 year ago. The attitude has really changed for the worse.

My HOPE is the following:

*Balancing out FA a little bit.
*Making HB more "fun" in one way or another.
*Adding a Sealed Deck arena (if HB isn't turned into a Sealed Deck).
*Adding Polymock PvP.
*Large Scale Skill Balance with a majority changes being PvE/PvP skill separation (could also go on the content update after).

This is, of course, assuming that it is PvP-based.

* Brutal Weapon: decreased duration to 10..40 seconds.
* Guided Weapon: decreased duration to 4..10 seconds.
* Resilient Weapon: decreased duration to 5..15 seconds.
* Signet of Binding: functionality changed to: "You lose 200..50 Health. Gain control of target spirit."
* Spawning Power: increased effect on Weapon Spells to 4% per rank.
* Spiritleech Aura: functionality changed to: "Skill. For 5..20 seconds, all of your spirits within earshot deal 5..20 less damage and steal 5..20 Health when they attack."
* Spirit Siphon: functionality changed to: "The spirit nearest you loses all Energy. You gain 15..50% of that Energy."
* Vital Weapon: decreased duration to 5..30 seconds.
* Wailing Weapon: decreased duration to 3..9 seconds.
* Warmonger's Weapon: decreased duration to 3..13 seconds.
* Weapon of Shadow: decreased duration to 3..8 seconds.
* Weapon of Warding: decreased duration to 3..8 seconds.

I lol'd pretty damn hard.

Next major Update?
Fixing x house and points. lol
I still wana see that dead island in the top of the main map to have some new area.

island.jpg

Next major update? Fill in the LARGE corners of the map, not the tiny islands that float around, but the orange-y, mountainous bit between the Crystal Desert and Souther Shiverpeaks, the snowy mountains in south Cantha (I know Minister Wu's Estate is there, why not visit it), you get the idea. No need for major quest lines but perhaps for each new area a small quest line ending in an area like Tombs of the Primeval Kings, a dungeon or simply a new PvE skill trainer. So many corners of the map are just begging to be filled in.